People and businesses are frequently inundated with information they do not want and do not need. For example, a large percentage of the mail people and businesses receive is xe2x80x9cjunkxe2x80x9d mail which is mailed out by mail senders in bulk quantities as announcements, advertisements or other forms of solicitations. The junk mail may be associated with a product or service that the recipient does not want or need and will never want or need.
Similarly, a significant portion of the emails that a person or business receives may comprise xe2x80x9cspamxe2x80x9d (the email equivalent to junk mail), and unwanted joke or gossip emails. Further, a person""s or business""s productivity may be diminished by the amount of time required to answer unwanted telephone calls, such as those from telemarketers.
Some telephone companies offer services, such as call blocker, which allow a consumer to block telephone calls from a specified telephone number. Similarly, some email systems can be configured to filter out emails from specific sources.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a computer-based method for use in mining data from communications filtering requests. The method includes accepting from a delivery point a filtering request, which includes an identification of a sender from which the delivery point does not wish to accept communications. The method further includes storing the data from the filtering request in a database and providing information from the database to a requestor.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. The communications may be one of traditional mail, email, and telephonic communications. Providing information may include accepting a data mining request from the requestor and mining data from the database in accordance with the data mining request. Providing information may include receiving from the requestor payment associated with the data mining request.
The method may further include receiving from the delivery point payment associated with the filtering request. The payment may be associated with receipt of the filtering request or with application of the filtering request. The requestor may be the sender. Providing information may include querying the database for a list of all delivery points not accepting communications from the requester.
The method may further include sending filtered communications to a recycle facility and receiving from the recycle facility payment associated with receipt of the filtered communications.
The method may further include receiving a communication, determining from the communication its source and its delivery point, accessing the database to determine if the determined delivery point wishes to accept communications from the determined source, and if it does, delivering the communication to the delivery point. If it does not, the method may include discarding the communication. Determining the source and delivery point may include reading one or more bar codes affixed to an article of traditional mail.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a system for mining data from a communications filtering system. The system for mining data includes a database, a filtering request interface for receiving a filtering request, a data mining request interface for receiving a data mining request, and a data mining response interface for transmitting a data mining response. The system also includes a processor configured to process the filtering request to produce filtering request data, store at least a portion of the filter request data in the database, mine the database in accordance with the data mining request to produce a data mining response, and provide the data mining response through the data mining response interface.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. The processor may be further configured to filter communications in accordance with the filtering request. The system may further include a revenue interface configured to receive revenue associated with one or more of the filtering request, the data mining request, the data mining response, and the communications filtering activity. The system may further include a filtered communications interface through which the processor sends filtered communications. The filtered communications interface may be to a recycling facility. The system may further include a revenue interface configured to receive revenue associated with sending the filtered communications to the recycling facility.
The filtering request may include an identification by a delivery point of a sender from which the delivery point does not wish to receive communications. The filtering request may include an indication by a delivery point that the delivery point does not wish to receive bulk communications. The bulk communications may include one of bulk mail, bulk email, and bulk telephone calls. The filtering request may include a payment.
The data mining request may include a request for information regarding specified delivery points. The data mining request may include a request for an identification of delivery points that have asked not to receive communications from a sender. The data mining request may include a request from a requester of an identification of delivery points that have asked not to receive communications from the requester. The data mining request may include a payment. The data mining response may include a list of delivery points that have asked not to receive communications from a sender.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a computer-based method for filtering traditional mail including receiving an article of traditional mail, determining a delivery point from the article of traditional mail, determining a sender from the article of traditional mail, discarding the article of traditional mail if the delivery point does not wish to receive traditional mail from the sender, and otherwise forwarding the article of traditional mail to the delivery point.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. Determining a sender may include reading a bar code. The bar code may include a zip code and a sender identification associated with the zip code.
The method may further include determining whether the delivery point wishes to receive traditional mail from the sender by accessing a database. The method may further include receiving a filtering request, which includes filtering data, and storing at least a portion of the filtering data in a database. The method may further include receiving a data mining request and accessing a database containing information regarding whether the delivery point wishes to receive traditional mail from the sender in order to extract mined data in accordance with the data mining request, and producing a report based on the mined data in accordance with the data mining request.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method for filtering mail which includes creating a unique sender code for each sender of mail, creating a filter list of sender codes identifying senders from which a customer does not wish to receive mail, and withholding delivery of an article of mail for which the sender code matches a code on the filter list.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. The method may include finding the sender code on the article of mail. Creating the unique sender code may include creating a bar code. Creating the unique sender code may include creating a bar code including a sender identification that is unique for the zip code associated with the address of the sender.
In general, in another aspect, the invention features a method for filtering communications including asking a customer to identify one or more senders from which the customer no longer wishes to receive communications and avoiding delivery of communications to the customers from the one or more identified senders.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. Avoiding delivery may include asking the one or more identified senders not to send communications to the customer. Avoiding delivery may include blocking delivery of communications to the customer from the one or more identified senders.